Chapter 26 #2
Preston walked onstage and took his position.
The male Sugar Plum Cavalier variation from Nutcracker was played, and Preston delivered.
He brought his charm, elegance, and flawless technicality throughout the whole piece.
I’d seen him perform this variation countless times, but tonight seemed to put those past performances to shame.
His final move finished in a kneel, again earning an excited round of applause from the various funders.
“Next, we’ll watch Ivy perform a piece selected to highlight her technical range and finesse. She brings something special to the stage—something that reminds us all why we fell in love with ballet in the first place.”
Ivy took her place on the stage, wearing a beautiful purple classical tutu. A delicate tiara sat on top of her head, and her eyes shone with magic. The gentle notes of the Sugar Plum Fairy female variation music came to life over the speakers.
I’d been so busy these past few weeks that I hadn’t really been able to watch her variation yet.
But standing onstage, she was everything a princess should be.
Her smile was so inviting and authentic, and she had a way of pulling the audience in like she was dancing only for them.
Her movements were a tad more fluid from her contemporary background, but it worked for her.
I was so enraptured by her performance that when she ended, I broke into applause briefly before catching myself and earning a few laughs from those closest to me.
I recaptured the audience’s attention as Ivy left the stage.
“I’m sure you’ve recognized the music for both dancers. We are currently working on revamping portions of our upcoming Nutcracker performance as a debut production for Ivy and Preston’s partnership.
“Which brings me to my other point about our amazing partnership. All our choreography is created by Isaac Senders, our resident choreographer and another scent-matched member of the Arco pack. His ability to tune in to our omega couple creates unique movement and steps unparalleled anywhere else.
“Last for our viewing tonight is a brand-new duet choreographed by Isaac just for you. This duet pushes our pair to the edge of their connection—technically, emotionally, and instinctively. It’s both daring and intimate.
And it’s the kind of contemporary work we plan to use to reshape the reputation of Arco in seasons to come. Enjoy.”
Ivy and Preston had changed into two new outfits—Ivy was wearing a red, skin-tight unitard and Preston was wearing loose black pants.
I’d only seen this duet once, right after Isaac finished choreographing it, so I was curious to observe what range of emotions Isaac was talking about wanting to pull from the pair.
The music played out into the theater; a dark, rich-sounding piece featuring a few string instruments.
As soon as Preston moved, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
Then, when Ivy responded, I let out a gasp before I could even stop myself.
It was clear right away that Isaac had pushed them to tap into their crazed scent-matched lust to play out Preston’s dominance over Ivy.
The movements were so sensual, but nothing went too far. It suggested, it hinted, it teased a lot, but it never surrendered. Preston’s hands moved about Ivy’s body, but never went too far.
There were several seductive lifts that had her wrapped around his body, showcasing her phenomenal lines. Isaac had transformed Ivy into a beautiful doll, ripe for Preston to mold as he pleased, conquering her gently with his hands as he took control.
How Isaac got them to go this far without snapping was beyond me.
I swore I caught a slight scent of arousal—but it vanished almost as quickly as it came.
I was completely awestruck by what the three of them had created here.
This was exactly the kind of piece only a scent-matched team could pull off.
The last notes rang out over the theater as the piece finished with Preston standing over Ivy. She grasped onto his leg as her chest worked to catch her breath, the lights slowly fading out to leave them in the darkness.
There was no clapping this time, merely stunned faces. The silence stretched for a moment more before Evan Stornwalker broke out into a loud, thunderous applause while shouting, “Bravo!”
Soon, everyone was on their feet, cheering for Ivy and Preston, myself included. As the lights turned back on, they gave us a brief bow before joining me, all while trying to catch their breath through smiles.
“You all are officially the first to see our omega pair and the complete artistic pack that will support their rise. We have very exciting plans, and we’d love to include you. The Arco pack will be answering questions now. Please don’t hesitate to ask!”
Ivy, Preston, Isaac, and Lukas did their part, and they did it well. Now it was my turn.
***
Lukas
“Tonight was a huge success,” I spoke softly in the passenger’s seat of the car as Dem drove us home. In the back seat, Ivy had fallen asleep on Isaac’s shoulder while a very tired Preston rested his head on her lap.
“Indeed it was,” Dem agreed. “There’s already so much excitement about what we can do with them.
Evan pledged funds for an Executive Director.
The state arts council wants to create a whole travel guide and campaign around tourists visiting for our shows.
A few other funders were talking about supporting international tours. ”
“Absolutely remarkable,” I shook my head in amazement. “And only two months ago, we were scraping funds together to balance the budget.”
“Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t mention you in my speech tonight. You were the only pack member not introduced.”
“Dem, I wrote your speech. What are you talking about?”
“Just because you wrote it, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have reviewed it and taken the time to ensure you were included. I want you to know I appreciate everything you do for us just as much as everyone else.”
“Well…thanks,” I said, a little softer than I meant to. The recognition warmed something in me I didn’t know I was waiting for.
“I can’t imagine the sensation of dancing with her…” I said, glancing at Ivy in the rearview mirror as she started to quietly snore. “Watching them tonight makes me want to dance again.”
“I know what you mean…you can if you want to. Could even use you in character roles,” Dem looked over to me briefly.
“Very tempting…” I smiled back.